The highest restaurant in Wales where diners enjoy a panoramic skyline from 300ft up

When it comes to finding a spot to enjoy the best views in Swansea, there are probably not many places that can rival one city centre venue. And after a long stint of its doors being closed, and its future left in question, there is a new resident on the top floor of the 300ft Meridian Tower, Wales's tallest residential building.

The opening of Altitude 28 means diners can once again enjoy panoramic views of Swansea Bay and all that the city centre has to offer while enjoying a meal or a drink.

Brains had run the Grape and Olive restaurant there for 12 years, but it closed its doors suddenly in 2023. Phil Lake, whose company Meridian Quay Ltd owns the building, oversaw the process which saw Brains surrender its lease, which meant steps could be taken to revive the business. For the latest Swansea news, sign up to our newsletter here.

Altitude 28 is being run by the same owners of El Pescador and Lolis Mediterranean restaurants, with the new venture marking a third addition to its growing portfolio. It is split into two different sections. After climbing to the 28th floor in the lift from reception, you can turn right to head to the SkyBar, a sophisticated yet lounge style set up with tables and chairs overlooking the bay towards Mumbles, the city centre, and as far as the eye can see. Its expansive bar serves up a range of cocktails, champagne, wine, spirits, soft drinks, beers and cider, with a draft beer costing £6.50 a pint and bottled beer £5.50.

And if you're in the mood for some food, you can turn left and enjoy a fine dining experience at SkyDining. As well as its a la carte menu, there are also set menus with two course (£28) or three course (£35) options. There's also a roast dinner menu on Sundays, which has already proven to be a big hit with customers.

The head chef of SkyDining is Nick Jones, from Upper Killay, who has fourteen years of culinary experience, and enters the kitchen with a desire to give something special to his home city. His passion is for fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and innovative flavour combinations.

He said: "It has been going good - better than I could have hoped for. I have designed the menu looking to give something to Swansea that is a bit more up market. I have been around a bit as a chef. I started when I was 14 and I am 28 now - it's all I know. I used to work in England, and down the Gower as well. It's about finding a balance between good food and home comfort foods as well. I've taken influence from what I've seen in the past, and for me, I'm a very artistic chef as well - I care about good flavours, but how it looks as well.

"Our fillet steaks, even though they are one of the most expensive on the a la carte menu, are proving among the most popular dishes at the moment. They are flying out. I do a different method of cooking my fillet steaks, I reverse sear them. I sous vide them first, then let them rest, then pan fry them with thyme garlic and aromats, so it is perfect throughout the whole steak. I have gone away and worked away elsewhere, but it means a lot to me to come back and try and give something back to Swansea."

Whilst the star attraction at Altitude 28 is undoubtedly the views you get to see from your seat to the outside, there's plenty to admire on the inside as well. The decor is very Instagram worthy, and inspired by the elegance of Babylon Gardens, with floral walls, seating designs, decorations, and tropical birds the theme.

Assistant manager,Josh Humphreys said: "It's going really good so far. We're all enjoying and it's nice to get a venue like this back open. Everyone is pleased it is back and we've had some really good feedback. A lot of people are enjoying the food, and you've got a great view and location. We've got around 30 people working here. We've gone for a more fine-dining cuisine now, we do a set menu with two or three course options from 12pm until 4pm and 12pm until 3pm on Saturdays. We've also got our a la carte menu which runs all day, and on a Sunday we are serving a Sunday roast, which has gone down really well. For the bar it is walk-ins only, and for the restaurant it is always recommended to book. We have already taken bookings for March next year already."

Altitude 28 Skybar and Restaurant is open seven days a week from noon until 9.30pm. To make a booking, you can do so by clicking here. Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news. You will receive updates from us daily.